Primetime Magazine August 2013

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Au g u st 2 0 13

the grandparents’ issue

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F

ive years ago this summer, I was an associate editor at the Warwick Beacon. The title was largely ceremonial, a gesture on the part of my publishers to affirm that I was doing an OK job.

Really, though, I was just a reporter. Generating stories was my only real concern, and the skills I had learned while a temporary editor (filling in for someone on maternity leave) threatened to go stale. I wanted another challenge.

I got it.

In June 2008, they offered me PrimeTime. Back then, the editor was part-time and didn’t work out of the office, which limited participation from the other team members. She was ready to pass the reins, and I was ready to take them. I’ll admit that, at first, balancing the daily demands of reporting with a monthly deadline that always seemed so far away until, of course, it wasn’t, was not easy. OK, fine, I’ll admit that it still isn’t all that easy. But the leap of faith my publishers took by putting me in charge has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. I was in charge of something for the first time and, like a new mom, handled it with great care. I took those first steps tentatively, unsure of myself, and PrimeTime surely would not have moved forward if not for the people working alongside me.

Let’s be honest; no one wants to be bossed around by a 22-year-old, especially when that person is supposed to lead a senior living magazine. I agree that it’s perhaps an unusual pairing, and certainly one that I’ve avoided talking about on these pages, but I have to give credit to our great staff of writers, who were all good sports about my taking over. Most of them were here long before me (I’m talking to you, Don Fowler), and most will be here long after (I’m still talking to you, Don). I hope all will be here long after.

It has been such a pleasure working with them.

I would be remiss if I did not say a special thanks to the late Don D’Amato. The loss of Don to this magazine and to the Beacon family, and surely to all of our readers, was a difficult pill to swallow. Don was such a positive, happy, sweet person, and I very much looked forward to his visits to the office. I am so grateful that his daughter, Terry, has continued the tradition of “Glimpse of Rhode Island’s Past.” You’re the only person who could fill those shoes.

Richard Fleischer, our publisher and general manager, never hesitated to squash bad ideas, but he didn’t hesitate to encourage good ones, either. He let me make PrimeTime my own, and let me make my own mistakes. His guidance has been invaluable. If there’s one thing the guy knows, it’s magazines.

Well, that, and how to be a damn sharp dresser.

Marketing Director Donna Zarrella set the August 2013 example for taking ownership. She has a million 1944 Warwick Ave. Warwick, RI 02889 other things to worry about, countless other adver401-732-3100 FAX 401-732-3110 tising accounts to handle, but she has made PrimeTime a priority more than anyone else. She doesn’t Distribution Special Delivery just market the magazine for her own benefit. She genuinely wants the publication to be a good one, and has helped the editorial direction evolve. Most PUBLISHERS importantly, Donna is one of the most supportive Barry W. Fain, Richard G. Fleischer, and enthusiastic people I know. Working with her John Howell has been such a joy.

Tim Forsberg is relatively new to the team, but EDITOR Meg Fraser in his short time with the company, he has cermegf@rhodybeat.com tainly made an impression. Tim supports the team.

Whatever he can do to help, he does. And if you MARKETING DIRECTOR have an idea you want to bounce off someone, call Donna Zarrella 732-3100 – Tim will be able to help, I’m sure. donnaz@rhodybeat.com Thank you, too, to all of the Beacon Communications employees who have helped put PrimeCreative Director Time on newsstands. The magazine has changed Linda Nadeau a lot over the past five years; I think for the better. lindan@rhodybeat.com Together, we breathed new life into the magazine.

I am so proud of what we accomplished.

WRITERS Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank Jessica Botelho, Michael J. Cerio, Don Fowler, to Linda Nadeau, our creative director. Thanks in Terry D’Amato Spencer, Elaine M. Decker, John Howell, Joan Retsinas, large part to her talent (a gift and a curse, it seems), Mike Fink, Meg Chevalier, Joe Kernan, Linda is tapped by just about everyone in this ofKerry Park, Kathy Tirrell fice for various projects. And just when she’s ready to throw her hands up, someone piles on one more ADVERTISING thing, and she somehow manages to finish everyREPRESENTATIVES thing on her to-do list, with a hell of a lot more Donna Zarrella – donnaz@rhodybeat.com creativity than I could manage. Linda has been Carolann Soder, Lisa Mardenli, Janice Torilli, my partner in crime at PrimeTime, and it is no Suzanne Wendoloski, Gina Fugere exaggeration when I say that we wouldn’t have a magazine without her. She takes words and turns Classified ADVERTISING them into art, and even manages to make my meREPRESENTATIVES diocre photographs look good. In case I don’t say it Sue Howarth – sueh@rhodybeat.com enough, you are the best.

I realize that I’m rambling. I also realize that I haven’t said the thing you’ve come to assume by PRODUCTION STAFF now. You’ve probably guessed it, but this is my last Matt Bower, Brian Geary, Lisa Yuettner issue of PrimeTime. In fact, as I write this, it’s early morning before I head off to work and that office A Joint Publication of East Side Monthly is no longer at the Beacon. It’s an office I miss, and and Beacon Communications.

I know that I will miss this part, too, talking to all of you.

PrimeTime Magazine is published monthly and is available But, like you, I’ll still be reading. at over 400 locations throughout Rhode Island. Letters to the

Pr i m e Ti m e

editor are welcome. We will not print unsigned letters unless exceptional circumstances can be shown.

inthisissue grandparents

4 Watching them Play

Watching them Grow

5 6 8

Caring for the grandchildren

All Aboard

Take a trip on the Newport Ice Cream Train

Children’s Friend

Bringing the joy of parenting to seniors

To Do: Entertain the Grandkids Some fun ideas this summer

10 Grandparents on Loan

Meet three Federal Hill House Association foster grandparents

FOOD & DRINK

Frosty Treats......................................................................................................11

PEOPLE & PLACES

Connecting through music....................................................................12 Glimpse of RI’s past.......................................................................................22

LIFESTYLES

What do you Fink?........................................................................................17 That’s Entertainment...................................................................................24

SENIOR ISSUES

Service to Seniors..........................................................................................18 Alzheimer’s Association.............................................................................20 Director’s column..........................................................................................21 Retirement Sparks.........................................................................................23

PROFESSIONAL’S PERSPECTIVE Your Taxes...........................................................................................................19

o n t h e c ove r : Amelia Bennett of Alexandria, VA, took a ride on the Newport Ice Cream Train. She was visiting her grandparents, Bill and Gloria Manchester of RI. (photo by Joe Kernan)

nextmonth

It’s back to school time, no matter your age.

Meg Fraser editor

August 2013

PrimeTime |

GRANDPARENTS

by K AT H Y T I R R E L L

m e h t g n i h c t Wa Watching them

y a l P Grow

Those of us who’ve reached our 50s or 60s are probably focused on retirement. If we’ve raised a family, we might assume childrearing is behind us, and now, at last, our time can be devoted to our own interests and pastimes. But for some older adults who happen to be grandparents, they can’t put away the toys, games and car seats quite yet. And while spending time with the little ones can be enjoyable, coming up with ways to fill all those summer hours can be a challenge.

Shannon Smith, who lives in the small town of St. John, Kansas, takes care of her two grandchildren day and night for part of the summer each year. The 63-year-old schoolteacher is able to care for 11-year-old Isabella and 8-year-old Magnolia because she has the summers off.

Smith described a typical summer day with her grandkids.

“I am usually up by 6 a.m. I write and garden for the next two or so hours –my alone time. When the kids get up, they like to have breakfast in the garden. Then we make the beds and put away laundry,” she said. “I usually have a bike errand for them – post office, grocery store – before it gets too hot. They also have garden stuff to do. Dinner is sit down but simple stuff. They are good about clearing the table and helping with the dishes. Then after dinner is when the neighbor kids go out to play. Before bed, we always sit out in the garden and tell stories.”

When asked what she likes most about taking care of her grandchildren, Smith says it is like a second chance at childhood.

“The best thing is that you get to do your favorite kid things again and you get to watch your grandkids enjoy them,” she said.

And as for the hardest part, she says, “Each girl is a diva in her own right so every year we have drama.

I have to be Solomon – wise and fair. Fair isn’t always easy.”

While it can be difficult to juggle childcare with | PrimeTime 4

one’s own interests and responsibilities, Smith seems to have it down.

“I do have a novel coming out in August and will have to do galley proofs soon,” she said. “I have done them with the kids in the house. Not easy, but it can be done. They know I write books and they have folders of their own stories they are working on.”

Things are a little different for Nancy O’Toole of Pawtucket. The 59-year-old mother of two grown sons takes care of her 4-year-old granddaughter Shyann for

just one day a week, since she works a full-time retail job the rest of the week. And unlike Smith and her granddaughters who live in the country, O’Toole and her young granddaughter are city girls.

Their day starts at 7 a.m. and lasts until about 5 p.m., when Shyann’s parents return from work.

“We have breakfast together, usually eggs or pancakes,” said O’Toole. “That’s what she likes.”

On a typical day, grandma and granddaughter play with Barbie dolls and stuffed animals or engage in some imaginary games before heading off to do some errands or take a trip to the grocery store.

“When we go to the meat counter, she likes to hit the button to get the number ticket,” said O’Toole.

When the two return home from food shopping, they make lunch together. After lunch, if it’s nice weather, they’ll go outside so Shyann can play on the swings, one of her favorite outdoor activities. But besides the toys and games, O’Toole also makes a point of teaching her granddaughter some special skills.

Always supervised, Shyann has learned how to cook hot dogs in a pan and mix up a batch of brownies for her grandfather.

And since sewing is one of O’Toole’s favorite hobbies, she is now teaching Shyann how to operate a sewing machine.

Shyann loves her sewing lessons, placing the fabric in place, dropping down the needle, pushing the pedal and sewing the stitches while her proud grandmother keeps watch. She especially loves snipping off all the threads when she’s finished stitching.

O’Toole says the best part about taking care of her granddaughter is watching her grow up, being part of her growing up and “having a little bit of influence on her life.”

She said the hardest part is trying to keep up with a little girl who never runs out of energy.

“Children have energy all day long,” she said. “And Grandma gets tired. In the afternoon, we put on some cartoons and have some quiet time.”

When it comes to the future, O’Toole is very hopeful her granddaughter will have a bright one.

“The way the world is now, I hope she stays in school and gets a good education,” she said. “Shyann is very smart. I hope she goes to college and chooses a career that will not only make some money but make her happy.”

And isn’t that what all grandparents want for their grandchildren?

August 2013

GRANDPARENTS

b y j o e kernan

Next stop,

Sundae School

There are some people (and I number myself among them) who would sign up for just about anything that entails riding on a train. Throw an ice cream sundae into the offer and I’m all, “When do I have to be there?”

The famous Newport Dinner Train, which has been carrying diners for more than 16 years, has added an ice cream run to its schedule.

“The train leaves at 11:30 but we ask that people get there by 11,” said Azure Giroux, the newly minted college graduate from East Greenwich. “Newport is not an atrociously long distance away from your coverage areas, and living in such a small state I think that it is still beneficial to promote an event such as this, especially since it is family-friendly and appropriate for summertime.”

The Ice Cream Train, with its own special signage and schedule, made its first run last Thursday, but I couldn’t get there myself until the Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The invitation claimed it’s the only rolling ice cream parlor car in Rhode Island, which is probably true, but not the only one in the country. Railroad fans everywhere have been looking for ways to “re-purpose” surviving railways in other parts of the country as well. The Belton Grandview and Kansas City Railroad Ice Cream Social rolls out of the station each Friday during the summer months. The Ice Cream Express does the same thing in Tioga County in Pennsylvania.

So it’s no surprise that the Old Colony and Newport Scenic Railway, the nonprofit organization of volunteers who maintain the tracks and stock, welcomed the idea as yet another way to get people to ride the rails along the Rhode Island Coast. The Old Colony and Newport is the working name of the National Railroad Foundation and Museum headquartered in Newport and www.ocnrr.org is a great source for the history of the 20 or so miles of track that run between Newport and Portsmouth on Aquidnick Island. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation actually owns the tracks.

The Newport Ice Cream Train fare includes an ice cream sundae and a soft drink, but there is a limited kids’ menu of hot dogs, chicken or pizza.

The ride itself is like a short tour of Newport history. The first things you see out the window are the relatively modest houses that grew up around the tracks as waves of progress and recession rolled over the track. The passage through the Navy base gives you a glimpse of the U.S.S. Saratoga, slowly rusting away as it waits for the metal scrappers to finish their work. Then past more modern structures that house August 2013

a day with the grandkids

the high tech radar and tracking equipment that can see an approaching threat for hundreds of miles. Old-fashioned clam diggers are on the flats, then the boaters who have discovered a private patch of beach. Not everything you see from the train is beautiful but, like life itself, the view is worth the trip.

A brief history of the railroad, written by Donald O’Hanley and George Kenson, is available at ocrr.com. In it, you will learn that the Old Colony Railroad terminated in Fall River in 1854, an important commercial center. Newport wanted to join the growing grid of track spreading across the land, but there was not enough commerce to tempt railroad investors to come to the city. Newport County offered Old Colony a 50-foot right-of-way if the carrier would construct a southerly extension. In 1862, the Fall River line came to Newport under the title of Newport and Fall River Railroad. This line was merged into the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad, which was then renamed the Old Colony & Newport Railway.

Regularly scheduled through service began in 1864.

The Old Colony & Newport established stations at Portsmouth Grove, Bristol Ferry and Tiverton. The railroad sponsored excursions at very low rates to attract tourists. A Sunday round-trip from Boston to Newport for a dollar was immensely popular. A railroad sponsored summer development at “The Hummock” in Portsmouth rented cheap and Fall River residents took advantage of the offer. Eventually the tenants bought the land and the island was developed economically.

But you won’t learn all that on the Ice Cream Train. You can just sit, eat ice cream and indulge in the nostalgic impulses that roll over you as you roll over the tracks.

Ice Cream Train with Candyman Conductor entertaining, Friday at 6:30 p.m.; $26.95; seniors, $24.95; children under 10, $19.95. Thursday and Saturday trips board at 11:30 a.m.; $19.95, seniors $17.95; kids, $14.95. Ticket includes ice cream and toppings and soft beverage (A kids’ lunch menu of hot dog, $4.50; chicken nuggets, $4; and pizza, $3.50, is available.)

It’s wiser to make reservations and to arrive 30 minutes before departure, but, if space is available when you arrive, chances are you won’t be turned away.

The Ice Cream Train 19 America’s Cup Avenue, Newport, RI 02840 401-841-8700 PrimeTime |

a worthy cause

b y M ichael j . ceri o

Children’s In many ways, Mary Dowd Struck is your typical retired professional, following a successful 30-year career at Women & Infants Hospital. But less than 24 hours after Mary’s former colleagues honored her with a thoughtful retirement party, she received a phone call that would change her life many times over – in the most rewarding ways.

A former senior vice president for patient care and nurse midwife, Mary spent her entire career caring for infants. As a midwife, she has delivered nearly 1,000 babies and was inducted into the Rhode Island Nursing Hall of Fame. As a result, the voice on the other end of the phone that July morning in 2006 felt she was the perfect person to help with a difficult situation.

“The day after my retirement party, I received a call from a doctor who asked

if I could care for an infant girl who had been left at the hospital – at my home,” recalls Mary. “I remember telling people just the night before that I was thinking about doing something with border babies in the fall, which is the term we used for babies left behind because their mothers couldn’t care for them; just the week before, I had met Joyce of Children’s Friend to fill out an application to volunteer as a foster parent.”

Though it had been more than three decades since Mary cared for an infant at home – her children are 33 and 36 – she was up to the task. Mary was also comforted knowing she had the support of Children’s Friend and her family.

Established by Harriet Ware in 1834 to provide a safe haven for the many indigent children found throughout Prov-

idence at the time, Children’s Friend has been helping Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children and their families for nearly 180 years. The early work of Children’s Friend planted the seed for foster care as it exists today.

“Often, when young women become pregnant and realize they will be unable to care for their child due to life circumstances, they develop an adoption plan so they know their child will go to a loving home once born,” said Joyce LaFrance Tormey, foster parent recruitment and retention worker for

“

Jasmine no longer living with her, Mary recalls crying the entire time she drove from her home to Jasmine’s new family – though she’d soon receive another lifechanging call.

“I hadn’t been without Jasmine for a day before the hospital called to say they had another baby, Joseph*, that I could care for; almost to ease the transition,” said Mary. “I think I cried all the way to the hospital when I picked him up.”

Among the wide range of programs and services offered by Children’s Friend, their work touches the lives of

You don’t need a special degree to do this

and make an enormous difference in another person’s life. Having an opportunity to care for small children again has been extremely stimulating for someone like me who is retired...

”

– Mary Dowd Struck

A retired senior, Mary Dowd Struck (left), with Joyce LaFrance Tormey of Children’s Friend, has cared for 12 small children since her retirement in 2006 – a rewarding experience that has provided her with countless memories.

(Photo courtesy Children’s Friend)

| PrimeTime 6

Children’s Friend. “This decision, which is never easy, comes from a place of love – the mothers wanting their child to have something better than what they’re able to provide at the time.”

Soon after Mary made the commitment to take 5-week-old Jasmine* home, family members arrived with a crib, swing and everything else she’d need to care for the little girl. Over the next 17 months, Mary developed a special bond with Jasmine.

Through the combined efforts of Children’s Friend and the Rhode Island Department of Children Youth & Families, Jasmine found her forever home with a loving family in Cranston just before turning 18 months. Understandably emotional at the prospect of

more than 30,000 children and adults each year. All are designed, first and foremost, with the goal of reuniting families once the issues that led to foster care have been resolved.

In everything we do, our focus is to provide integrated care to support the entire family, not just children,” said Stacy Couto, vice president of external affairs for Children’s Friend. “If a family isn’t stabilized, it doesn’t matter what we do with the children if they are going home to a difficult environment.”

Children’s Friend offers birth parent counseling, full family counseling, Early Head Start and Head Start, adoption support, foster care, a Permanency Care program, child care and more.

They also coordinate a job-training pro-

August 2013

grandparents

Friend gram for fathers called Dads Making a Difference, to ensure that fathers and significant men involved in the life of a child are having a positive impact on their children’s lives.

Most helpful to Mary were the sixweek group training sessions that Children’s Friend coordinates for foster parents and those considering adoption.

Jasmine recently celebrated her 7th birthday, an occasion that Mary never misses thanks to her strong relationship with Jasmine’s parents. Throughout the 17 months that Mary cared for Jasmine, she created a scrapbook for the child to document her earliest days. At the end of this past school year, when asked to bring in something special from home,

Jasmine shared the book with her classmates.

“It means the world to me to have real relationships with the children I’ve cared for and their families,” said Mary.

“You don’t need a special degree to do this and make an enormous difference in another person’s life. Having an opportunity to care for small children again has been extremely stimulating for someone like me who is retired – Children’s Friend provides support in incredible ways so you’re never alone.”

Since welcoming Jasmine to her home more than six years ago, Mary has cared for an additional 10 children. She relishes her role to provide each with a healthy and loving start to their lives,

Bringing joy of parenting to seniors

getting them back to their family or to a new family that will love and cherish them as their own.

“We can always use more people like Mary who are willing to step in and help a child begin their life without a parent when a family is going through a tumultuous time,” Joyce said.

According to Joyce, a number of the individuals who provide volunteer support to Children’s Friend and serve as caregivers for children in transition are over the age of 50 and retired. Those interested in getting involved with Children’s Friend may contact Joyce directly at 276-4318 or by e-mail at jtormey@ cfsri.org. Tax-deductible donations may

also be made online through Children’s Friend’s secure website at www.cfsri. org by clicking the “Make a Donation” link.

“The work of Children’s Friend has evolved greatly over the years; they’re an incredible resource for the children and families who need them most – I truly believe that there’s something we can all do to help,” said Mary. “I know that I’ll continue caring for children for as long as I’m healthy and able.” *Names of children changed to respect privacy.

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PrimeTime |

b y meg fraser

e h t n i a Entert

: s d i k d do n a r G To

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STAR SEARCH

Frosty Drew Observatory

AROUND THE CAMPFIRE

61 Park Lane Charlestown

Burlingame State Park & Campground Route 1, Charlestown Kids today are so plugged in to their electronics that many don’t spend enough time outside. Or, if they are outside, they’re multitasking by checking their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Just once, make them leave the cell phones at home and go camping: no television, no iPods, no distractions. Burlingame offers a lot of recreational opportunities, including canoeing, freshwater fishing and the chance to check out wildlife the kids won’t see at Providence Place Mall. Rent a picnic table for $2 or stay on your site and teach the grandkids how to cook their own dinner over a fire pit. It might not be the vacation they dream about, but it will likely be a memory they carry with them for years to come.

You might have to tell them that you’re going to see some stars up close (and imply those stars include Miley Cyrus), but once they see the sky from Frosty Drew Observatory, you could have a budding astronomer on your hands. Every Friday night, year-round, the observatory’s telescopes are available to the public free of charge. And if you have any reluctant followers, promise them a cone of their choosing from Around the Corner Ice Cream on Charlestown Beach Road.

GONE TO THE ANIMALS

Roger Williams Park & Zoo 1000 Elmwood Avenue, Providence One of the oldest zoos in the country, Roger Williams is located on 40 acres in Providence. No matter how old your grandkids are, they will love a visit to the zoo, and if you’re responsible for their first visit to see more than 100 species, it could become a special family tradition. General admission is $14.95, admission for seniors is $12.95 and kids get in for $9.95. The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (with the last admission at 3:30 p.m.) Try going early in the morning before the afternoon crowd rushes in, and plan a picnic lunch in the park afterwards. There is also an adjacent playground and the carousel, rides on which go for $2 per person.

| PrimeTime 8

SUMMER HOMEWORK

Providence Children’s Museum 100 South Street, Providence

There’s no better way to beat the heat this August than to escape into the air conditioned, built-for-kids Providence Children’s Museum. Kids learn through hands-on activities and playtime, teaching them about the environment, engineering and history, among other things. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Labor Day, and admission is $9 per person. If it turns out your grandkids love the experience, though, consider buying a membership.

If it’s just two people, a basic family membership is $100 and gets you in for one year. A family PLUS membership starts at $150 for six people.

August 2013

GRANDPARENTS

GROWING HOBBIES

Green Animals Topiary Gardens 380 Cory’s Lane, Portsmouth

SWING, BATTER, BATTER

McCoy Stadium 1 Columbus Avenue, Pawtucket

The gardens have deep historic roots, having first been purchased in 1872 by Thomas E. Brayton, then the treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company. Today, the beauty of the space continues to resonate. There are more than 80 topiaries, many landscaped into shapes your grandkids will love, like animals, birds and geometric shapes. If you’re a gardener, a trip to the Topiary Gardens could be a nice introduction for the next generation of green thumbs. Take a Saturday trip to the gardens in Newport and then dedicate Sunday to helping your little ones creating a little garden of their own.

For a heck of a lot cheaper than a trip to see the Red Sox, you and the whole family can catch a Pawtucket Red Sox game at McCoy. General admission is only $8, or $5 for kids and seniors.

Even if you splurge and get a round of hot dogs, you won’t break the bank. And the baseball is good. The PawSox won the International League championship last year and there is always a chance you’ll see a future star on his way up the ladder.

ACT LIKE A KID

UNDER THE SEA

Adventureland

Save the Bay Exploration Center & Aquarium

112 Point Judith Road, Narragansett

175 Memorial Boulevard, Newport Mystic Aquarium isn’t too far, but if your grandkids aren’t up for a daylong excursion, the Save the Bay center in Newport will do the trick. Home to more than 50 species of marine animals from Narragansett Bay and 14 different exhibits surrounding the habitats of those creatures; there is plenty to keep you busy. It isn’t too expensive, either, which is good news in case you want to grab lunch in Newport, too. Admission is $6 for all ages, or free for Save the Bay members. Check the organization’s website at savebay.org, as well, because they often have activities or clean-ups that could make for a nice family day.

The beaches are plentiful in South County, and with only parking fees and a few snacks to pay for, an inexpensive option for summer fun.

If by some miracle your grandchildren aren’t tuckered out after a full day in the sun and waves, though, and by some greater miracle you’re still standing, Adventureland is the cherry on top of a summer sundae. You can enjoy mini golf, bumper boats, go karts, basketball, batting cages, video games and a carousel all in one spot, with prices ranging depending on how many activities you want to try. And who knows, you might just get a second wind and teach those grandkids a lesson on the putting green.

HIT THE DUSTY TRAIL

Sunset Stables

1 Twin River Road, Lincoln

HISTORY LESSON

Casey Farm 2325 Boston Neck Road., Saunderstown An original 18th century homestead, Casey Farms is a trip back in time for your family.

The farm is open for tours all month on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. One room in the farmhouse is dedicated to the portraiture of the Casey family, and that room is featured on the tour. Most important to the kids, there are farm animals on the tour, too. If you stop by on a Saturday, you get the added bonus of the Coastal Growers Market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Check out locally grown produce, purchase fresh flowers and teach your grandchildren the importance of buying local. Best of all, The Coffee Guy’s cold brew is unbeatable and you should have enough time to indulge while the kids listen to live music from local performers.

August 2013

Depending on how fit you are, this may or may not be an activity you can participate in, but either way, introducing your grandchild to horseback riding could spark a lifelong passion. Sunset Stables offers horseback riding through Lincoln Woods seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If your grandkids are newcomers, consider investing in a lesson. If you can ride along, make it a seasonal experience, and come back to Lincoln Woods in the foliage, in the snow and when spring is just starting to bloom.

COOL GRANDPARENT

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Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. This 18,000-square-foot facility is more than half trampoline. All jumpers must sign a waiver, and this activity is not for everyone. If your grandkids are a little bit older, though, they can jump around for hours, play a game of dodge ball or launch into a form pit.

Launch is open 12 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 12 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 12 to 7 p.m. on Sundays. One hour of jumping is $14, with each additional hour at $10. Launch offers birthday party packages, too, if it’s that time of year for the grandkids. The bottom line is that if you take the family here, chances are you’re going to be the “cool” grandparent for at least a few days.

PrimeTime |

DOER’S PROFILE

by JOAN RE TSINAS

grandparents

Grandparents on Loan Meet three of Federal Hill House Association’s Foster Grandparent volunteers:

Barbara Ricci

Dolores Santopadre

Christine Rainey

Four days a week, for six hours a day, Barbara Ricci helps children at the library of the Young Woods Elementary School in South Providence. For 15 years, she and Michaela Bagley, the school librarian, have been a team. While Mrs. Bagley introduces children to the basics of the library, Barbara shelves books and talks to the children, occasionally hugs them. When graduates return to visit, they drop by to say hello. By now, Barbara knows not just the children, but the teachers and their children. A fifth grader at his recent “graduation” told her: “I’ll come back to visit you.”

As for Mrs. Bagley, she waxes ecstatic.

“Barbara is awesome. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without her.”

Barbara joined the foster grandparent program 15 years ago when she was 67, and newly widowed. She had always been busy and wanted – needed – a way to stay busy. A graduate of Woonsocket Senior High School (‘49), she went to work for the phone company as an operator in those days when a person, not a computer, asked for your phone number. At the same time, she went to hairdressing school. By 1963, she had launched Bobbie’s House of Beauty in Pawtucket.

In fact, one patron in the shop suggested she volunteer as a foster parent. This past May, at the Senior Corps Recognition Luncheon, Barbara was given an Outstanding Volunteer award.

Five afternoons a week, Dolores Santopadre heads to the Wanskuck Library on Veazie Street in Providence. She primarily helps children with their English homework, but will do whatever else needs to be done.

Molly Osborne, children’s specialist, praises Dolores.

“She has been a really big help to us,” she said.

Wanskuck is Dolores’ second foster grandparent slot.

She has been there for more than a year. For three years, she helped oversee toddlers at the Roger Williams Day Care Center – making breakfasts and lunches, shepherding children to the bathroom and playing with them.

Like Barbara Ricci, Dolores turned to the Foster Grandparent Program when she had free time. Her beloved husband had died after a long battle with lung disease, as did her mother, after years with Alzheimer’s.

Dolores had moved out of her condo into senior housing. One daughter, an actress and jazz singer, lives in Los Angeles. She has performed on “LA Law” and in the movie, “Great Expectations.” Another daughter, an executive chef and creator of RI red hot sauce (www. sauceontheside.com), lives nearby.

Now 78, Dolores has had a varied career, going from being a model, to a telephone operator, to a Twin River Casino employee, ending at the Donut Express in Woonsocket, which she owned. Today, she loves to read and admits she wishes she could have written stories.

Indeed, being part of the Foster Grandparent Program might be one chapter.

Christine Rainey, at 79, can create snakes, turtles and teacups with Play Dough. She’s also proficient at puzzles and games. With six children and 13 grandchildren of her own, she has had lots of practice. So she settles naturally into the routine at the Brown Fox Point Early Learning Center, nurturing the 3- to 5year-old children. Five days a week, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., she takes the bus from her home to the Center.

Chris Amirault, executive director, calls her “an absolutely glowing, guiding force here.”

Before there was a formal Foster Grandparent Program, the state’s Department of Elderly Affairs piloted a program encouraging older people to work with children in community settings. A friend convinced Christine to try.

“I don’t know if I want to deal with little kids all over again,” she remembers thinking.

She stayed one day, then another, then another.

Twenty years later, she is still at Brown Fox Point Early Learning Center, still working with children. The children adore her, but Christine also loves them.

“They keep you on your toes, keep your mind going,” she said. “I look forward to them, and they look forward to me.”

Foster Grandparent Program Children love grandparents who have the time to play, read and talk. Parents love grandparents, who can offer a respite to childcare. And, of course, the grandparents themselves love getting to know the children. A three-way win.

So in 1965, the federal government opted to harness that enthusiasm for grand-

10 | PrimeTime

parents. The Foster Grandparent Program recruits individuals 55 or older to work with children in non-profit day care centers, community centers, schools and libraries, where there are children in need of extra attention and nurturing. The “foster grandparents” work an average of 20 hours a week and play with the children, read to them, talk to them and help the staff.

In short, they act like grandparents.

Today’s program is under the aegis of the Corporation for National and Community Service and places almost 30,000 retirees

each year in centers serving 250,000 children, most with special needs. The Foster Grandparents must be eligible for the program and receive a stipend of $2.65 an hour for their volunteer efforts. Rhode Island has three federally funded sites: West Warwick, East Bay and Providence.

Amy Mochel, senior corps director at Federal Hill House, who oversees both the Foster Grandparent Program and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program covering the Providence area, cautions that this is not a job, but a volunteer opportunity. The

85 “foster grandparents” enrolled at Federal Hill House all want to be with children. Indeed, Amy has a waiting list.

“In an interview, we want to make sure that the volunteers are there to nurture the children,” she said. “Many of these children are at risk, need extra attention, extra care.”

For more information about the Foster Grandparent Program, contact amochel@ federalhillhouse.org.

August 2013

A Frosty Blast from the Past

food and drink

A tasty summer treat the grandkids will love to make and eat Cool down with the grandkids this summer with a rainbow of color and flavor. Just like skipping through the sprinkler when the sun is shining bright, homemade shaved ice offers sweet relief on a hot afternoon. Plus, making this frozen favorite is a fun family activity.

“Celebrate the flavors of summer with Easy Fruity Shaved Ice,” said Mary Beth Harrington of the McCormick Kitchens.

“The secret is in the flavorful syrups, which come together in just a few minutes with less than five ingredients, including fruit extracts and food colors.”

Add raspberry, orange or strawberry extract to a simple syrup and mix in a few drops of vibrant food color to create this classic frozen treat. But don’t stop there. Bring the family together and let their imaginations run wild as they create their own personalized color and flavor combinations. Here are a few tips from the McCormick Kitchens to get you started: • Make It Snow At Home: If you don’t have a shaved ice maker, crush ice to a snowy texture in your blender or by wrapping a plastic bag of ice in a kitchen towel and smashing it with a rolling pin or mallet.

This can be a fun project for kids so long as they have adult supervision.

Easy Fruity Shaved Ice Prep Time: 5 minutes 2 cups sugar 1 cup water Blue Raspberry Syrup: 2 teaspoons McCormick(r) Raspberry Extract 10 drops Blue McCormick(r) Assorted Food Colors & Egg Dye Strawberry Cotton Candy Syrup: 2 teaspoons McCormick(r) Imitation Strawberry Extract 10 drops McCormick(r) Red Food Color Crushed Orange Syrup: 1 teaspoon McCormick(r) Pure Orange Extract 8 drops McCormick(r) Yellow Food Color 2 drops McCormick(r) Red Food Color Lemon Blast Syrup: 1 teaspoon McCormick(r) Pure Lemon Extract 10 drops McCormick(r) Yellow Food Color

• Mix and Match: Store syrups in small squeeze bottles and mix and match flavors in each shaved ice. Create layers of color and flavor in the ice, and then gobble them up before the creation melts. You’ll have a different summer treat every time!

BRING sugar and water to boil in small saucepan on medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. For desired flavor syrup, stir in extract and food color.

For more inspiring summer ideas, visit www.McCormick.com, www.Facebook. com/McCormickSpice, or www.Pinterest.com/mccormickspices.

COOL to room temperature. Pour into squeeze bottle for easier serving. Pour syrup over shaved ice.

Makes 2 cups syrup.

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PrimeTime | 11

people & places

b y meg fraser

Connecting through music By the time Audrey Greene’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, her memory was already significantly impaired. But during Audrey’s visits across country to see her mother in California, there was still a spark – a piece of her mother still present, a piece holding on to the life she once loved. It seemed that Audrey was the catalyst for these moments of clarity, and the experience created a spark of her own.

During those visits, Audrey would sing to her mother.

“It was obvious to me that she was deep into Alzheimer’s, but I would sing to her and she would ask, ‘How do you know these songs?’ It was a huge validation that I could do this for my mom,” she said.

Ever since, reigniting the memories of seniors with dementia has been Audrey’s life’s work. Last year, she released an album to help others share the power of song. “Mom’s Musical Memories” includes hits of the past like “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “God Bless America” and “Apple Blossom Time.”

“I’ve worked for over 20 years singing for elderly people with a concentration on singing for people with dementia and memory issues,” she said. “I love this work. I have been really honored and privileged to sing for people who seemed to be unable to communicate.”

That communication barrier, Audrey has found, has a weak spot. Music, particularly music from the individual’s childhood, can often trigger an emotional response and give that individual a moment or two of clarity.

The lyrics come flooding back, and for the duration of the song, sometimes more, sometimes less, he or she is able to recall the memories attached to the tune.

“It happens sometimes that music will open them up,” Audrey said.

When she is performing for a group, Audrey can see a physical change in some of the seniors that tips her off that the music magic is working.

“People who were physically and mentally and emotionally closed off literally open their bodies up, open their posture up, open their eyes up and sometimes sing,” she said.

Audrey performs in nursing homes and senior centers regularly, and is glad to see that these facilities value entertainment, not just to keep residents busy, but as a way to improve their quality of life.

When possible, Audrey really enjoys working one-on-one.

“I get to know them; I get to know the songs they love,” she said.

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Based on the age of the state’s seniors today, Audrey has a pretty good idea of what those songs are. She pulls heavily from the Great American Songbook and World War II-era classics, as well as Broadway show tunes. She tailors her performances to the audience, and has a catalog of Italian and French ethnic songs for Rhode Island’s aging immigrant population.

“What I’m trying to do is get to those songs, especially for people with memory deficiencies, that open up their childhood for them,” she said.

That’s what worked for her mother.

A native of Suriname in South America, Audrey’s mother used to sing in her indigenous language. Audrey remembered the tunes, and singing them quickly sent her mother back decades.

“I try to maybe open up some memories ... maybe open up some emotions,” she said. “Everyone has a song that carries them back, that brings very specific sight and sound and feeling memories, and that’s clearly true for the older population.”

The reservation for other children or caregivers trying Audrey’s method can be as simple as nerves. She meets many adult caregivers, members of the sandwich generation faced with caring for growing children and aging parents, who think they “can’t sing.” She insists that everyone can sing, and even if you’re

out of tune, the effect can be the same.

Admittedly, Audrey has never felt shy about belting out a song. She is grateful, though, that her passion for music took on such an unusual form.

“I don’t remember not singing. I’ve always sung. It’s just a part of me,” she said. “It’s my soul, my joy, the way I communicate.”

In addition to singing to seniors, Audrey visits nursery schools, too. She wants to instill a love of music in the next generation, and knows that the young students are ambassadors of sorts, willing and able to sing to their grandparents and great-grandparents and perhaps, unknowingly, trigger the same reaction that Audrey gets when she sits down to sing and strum her guitar.

“Especially with children, I want them to be able to own music for themselves,” she said. “In this country we tend to think of music as a product.

Music, for me, is not about the product, it’s about the process; it’s about everyone in the group singing.”

To purchase “Mom’s Musical Memories,” visit AudreyGreenesMusic.com.

August 2013

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We raise families, and as we do so, things change. As we age, things change again. We have illnesses or debilitating injuries, and things change yet again. One minute, we can be carefree and mobile, and the next, we might find ourselves incapacitated. We take for granted that we can remain in our homes indefinitely, and as times change, we must accept that this can’t always be.

If there is one thing that Bill and Linda Bohmbach, founders of Home Healthsmith, know about it is how “change” can irreversibly affect lives. They have seen time and again how unexpected changes can impact whole families, immobilize otherwise independent lives and threaten the hope of living at home. Home Healthsmith was created by the Bohmbachs with one solitary mission: to help people stay safely in their homes for as long as possible. Using innovative solutions to the problems faced by their clients, their goal is to facilitate independence and restore dignity to homeowners endeavoring to remain in their homes, despite their physical limitations.

Bill Bohmbach is the former owner of the largest residential elevator installation business in the region. Over the course of fifteen years, he spent countless hours in people’s homes installing and servicing elevators and stairlifts. Throughout those years, he encountered homeowners whose challenges with aging or with disabilities made day-to-day tasks around their properties untenable; even tasks as seemingly mundane as changing a light bulb. He saw aging adults with weary caregivers, wounded veterans struggling to adjust to life without a limb, worn-out parents whose physically impaired children couldn’t get up stairs to a bedroom, and people who were the sudden victims of life-changing circumstances which robbed them of their cherished independence. Bohmbach saw these needs and knew he could do more - thus was born Home Healthsmith. He and Linda have now committed their business to this important work, to help others stay in their homes, safely and with dignity.

Home Healthsmith, a CAPS (Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist) business, provides a much-needed list of valuable services, beginning with a free in-home consultation to assess the safety needs of the resident. Residents may need a temporary modification to their home, such as a stairlift or ramp rental, or a more permanent adjustment such as a door widening or bathroom modification. They work in close partnership with family members & caregivers, along with their own team of architects, builders and other specialists to achieve the best outcome for the whole family. Everything is done with professionalism, timeliness, and respect.

Once the family needs are determined, the team at Home Healthsmith gets to work. Some of their many services include: • Stairlift installation and repair (rentals available) • Wheelchair ramps (rentals available) • Bath lifts & grab bar installation • Home safety audits • Wheelchair and scooter repair • Property monitoring, including remote monitoring If you or a loved one living throughout RI and surrounding areas are in need of the support and peace of mind provided by Home Healthsmith, contact them today at 1-855-HHSMITH (447-6484), visit them at www.homehealthsmith. com for a full list of their services, or send email inquiries to info@homehealthsmith.com. Don’t wait another minute, because before you know it, things are bound to change.

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LIF E S T Y L E S

wHAT DO YOU FINK?

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Tropical time and clime Every month has its plus and minus sides. August is a tropical time and clime, and your hammock is the perfect place to swing in the shade of the backyard tree and let the afternoon go by as you study the white cloud above your head. It is also the month before Labor Day, with the return to work, the end of playtime, the shortening of the daylight hours, all casting the thought of a shadow.

Well, let me count my accomplishments so far.

I did manage to make a few gestures toward clearing out a closet or two. I gave away my wedding suit, a crimson velvet outfit I purchased on Carnaby Street in swingin’ London in August 1968. I offered it to the Dandy exhibit at the RISD museum, and the curators accepted it, suggested they might add it to the collection when it travels about the country throughout the year, to other museums. They had, in fact, been searching for an item that expressed the style of Edwardian nostalgia, mixed in with democratic availability and accessibility. Any student can look like a prince in these duds. I added in a fine pale rose corduroy jacket, long and elaborately collared, that fit me perfectly and kept me fancy company among some of my bygone travels about the inhabited planet. So there: mission accomplished!

To make room in my narrow office for the semester that kicks in as the crickets and fireflies quiet down, I sneakily stuff the office wastebasket with a few papers I can live without. There are always regrets that get stirred in with the relief of liberating a path-

way on the linoleum floor, so that I can answer the phone without falling and breaking a rib.

My travel plans got curtailed (by my horror of airports and customs procedures) but not cancelled. Instead of seeking statues of Columbus or of Wallenberg in far off places, I paid homage right here in Westerly, to the monument to Cristoforo Colombo the “intrepid Italian explorer who linked the old world of the fathers to the new world of the sons” and shows the silhouettes of the ships he commanded. It was a rainy day with artists and craftspeople in little tents under his lofty gaze. I found Wallenberg not in Sweden but in New York, in front of the United Nations.

I visited the newly rehabilitated public library in Central Falls, and, at the time of this report, still plan on popping in on a library over the border in Massachusetts, in Concord, where I can look at Thoreau’s pencil and pad! That’ll be enough of an adventurous voyage for me to make this August. You can migrate in memorial words as well as in miles in air or by sea.

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grandparents

Family fun is better with active grandparents “Mens sana in corpore sano” is a Latin quotation meaning “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” Some mourn that it has been forgotten as North Americans witness a decreasing family interest in outdoor activities and an alarming obesity rate among children.

Michelle Obama, as U.S. First Lady, has been raising awareness of the urgent need for daily intellectual and physical exercise through her highly praised campaign, “Let’s Move.”

Bicycle riding is a long time favorite family outdoor activity and it helps to develop balance, coordination and motor skills, which contribute to an individual’s overall physical fitness.

For pre-schoolers, specialists in this field tell us that

August 2013

balance bikes – two-wheeled bikes without pedals – are a safe and enjoyable way to learn to ride. Take a look at the PlasmaBike, for example. Designed by PlaSmart, it is a popular model due to its recessed but fairly wide wheels whose internal bearing system ensures a safe and smooth ride.

Grandparents Ted and Jacqueline Odoni agree: “On weekends, our family’s favorite thing after we’ve enjoyed a meal together is to go for a walk in the park or for a ride on our bikes. It’s healthy, it’s free, and it clears your mind. Cycling is what keeps our three grandchildren active, and it also keeps us alive and kicking.”

PrimeTime | 17

senior issues

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Service to seniors Katherine Butler, administrator of Grand Islander Center Genesis HealthCare in Middletown, has been chosen by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) as a future leader in long-term care. Butler will join the Association’s Future Leaders program, a yearlong program that offers training and guidance for long-term care professionals.

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“Future Leaders of Long Term Care in America,” held each year in Washington, D.C. This year’s symposium took place July 24 to 26.

PrimeTime caught up with Katherine to get her perspective on long-term care and what changes we can expect to see down the road.

Q: First, what drew you to long-term care?

Health care has always been a field that interested me. Some people are just not meant to be nurses or doctors, however, and I’ll admit I am one of those people. I began working in long-term care just as a summer job after my first year of college, working in a payroll office. After experiencing all that the nursing center had to offer, I knew that I wanted to not only work in longterm care, but to be an administrator.

So many people have preconceived notions regarding “nursing homes” and I wanted to be a part of changing their minds. Nursing centers offer an opportunity for people to live a rich life in their later years and I wanted to be a part of providing that quality.

Q: What do you think the landscape will look like in long-term care 20 years from now?

The Baby Boomer generation will have a major impact on the landscape of long-term care in the next 20 years. According to Medicare, it’s estimated that in the next decade, nearly 12 million people in this country will need longterm care. That number is expected to continue growing in subsequent years, due to the size of the Baby Boomer generation. It’s estimated that approximately 70 percent of individuals who are over age 65 today will eventually need long-term care, according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. Due to the desire of the Baby Boomers to remain as independent as possible, they will remain home and “independent” as long as possible. Therefore, if and when they enter the long-term care setting, they will need more intensive care and services than today’s typical resident.

Q: What are the major hurdles that must be overcome to assure that everyone receives the quality care they need in the most appropriate setting?

There is an easy answer to that – adequate funding! Nursing centers struggle to continue to provide high quality care in the face of continued funding cuts on both a state and national level. The acuity of the patients we are taking in our nursing centers continues to rise.

We are pleased that the state is providing increased home- and communitybased supports for those in need of long-term care. The result, however, is that those coming to live with us are sicker and need more resources to keep them safe, healthy and active. However, reimbursement for their care is not keeping pace with these more intensive needs. In fact, this year both Medicaid and Medicare decreased funding for their care. Nursing centers need stable and predictable funding in order to provide responsive, compassionate care.

Q: What’s the best thing about your chosen career?

Being an administrator provides you so many wonderful opportunities. One reason why I chose this career path was my belief that this is a position where I could make the biggest difference for the residents of my facility. Not only do I have the opportunity to fight for them as their administrator and provide them with a safe home where they can enjoy a quality of life, but be active in advocating for their rights on a state level by reaching out to our local representatives on issues that matter to them.

Fax 732-3110

August 2013

your taxes

professional perspective

b y meg che v alier

Visit IRS.gov this summer for all your tax needs The IRS.gov website is a great resource for free tax help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our many online tools can help make it easier to file and pay your federal taxes. You can also learn about filing options, check the status of a refund, print tax forms and find out how to contact the IRS.

Here are 12 good reasons to visit IRS.gov this summer: 1. Use the Interactive Tax Assistant.

This tool is a tax law resource that covers a number of topics. The ITA is easy to use, as it leads you through a series of questions and provides responses to your tax law inquiries.

2. Check your withholding. Use the IRS Withholding Calculator to check if you’re on target with the amount

withheld from your pay. This tool can help you decide if you need to give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate.

3. Check your refund status. The Where’s My Refund? tool is a fast and easy way to check the status of your tax refund. Use the IRS2Go mobile app or click on the ‘Refund’ tab on IRS. gov.

4. Order a transcript. Order your tax return transcript or tax account transcript online. You’ll receive it within five to 10 days.

5. Pay your taxes electronically. Use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System to pay your taxes online or by phone. EFTPS is a free service.

6. Apply for a payment agreement.

The Online Payment Agreement tool allows you to apply for a payment agreement online if you owe $50,000 or less in taxes, interest and penalties.

7. Check out a charity. Search for qualified charities using Exempt Organizations’ Select Check. This tool will tell you if an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.

8. Check your homebuyer credit repayments. Use the First Time Homebuyer Credit Lookup tool to get account information such as the total amount of your credit or your repayment amount.

9. Get forms and publications. View, download and order federal tax forms and publications anytime, day or night.

10. Check your eligibility for an offer in compromise. An OIC allows you to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount you owe. It’s an option if you can’t fully pay your taxes, or doing so creates a financial hardship.

Use the OIC Pre-Qualifier tool to see if you may be eligible before you apply for one.

11. Get up-to-date tax news. Get the latest tax information in the IRS Newsroom.

12. Explore career opportunities.

Learn about careers at the IRS. The IRS is seeking students, recent college graduates and experienced professionals for full-time career and seasonal positions.

The official IRS website address is IRS.gov.

Don’t be fooled by sites that end in .com, .net, .org or other designations other than .gov.

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PrimeTime | 19

b y D r . M anjari M u rali

i n d e p endent contrac tor , alzheimer ’s association

RI

chapter

sen i o r

i ss u es

When the diagnosis is Alzheimer’s A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease for you or your loved one can be devastating, but do not lose heart.

Even as scientists strive to find a cure, help is available in Rhode Island to assist in maintaining your quality of life and planning for long-term care. The Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter offers several programs and services to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. All of the Chapter services are free of charge to families. Additionally, a number of other agencies and professionals in Rhode Island provide medical, legal, financial, respite, longterm care and support services for dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.

The two key points to remember when confronted with Alzheimer’s disease are that you are not alone, and you need to plan ahead. About 24,000 Rhode Islanders suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, and there are approximately 100,000 family caregivers in the state.

b y d o nna m . m c g o wan

It is important to learn all you can about the disease and find a health care provider who can meet your needs – the needs of both the person with the disease and the caregiver. Involve the family and seek help with daily tasks from family and friends. This has to be a team effort. Make sure the necessary legal and financial issues are addressed while the person with the diagnosis is still able to participate in these important decisions. Address health and safety issues and set up a support system for yourself – again for both the caregiver and the person with the disease. Explore what services are available in your community.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the world’s leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research. The Rhode Island Chapter is a private, non-profit affiliate of the National Alzheimer’s Association. Our Chapter programs and services include a 24/7 help line, support groups for caregivers and individuals in early stages of the disease, early stage social engagement programs, educational programs for families, training for professional caregivers, an annual caregiver conference, public policy and a resource library. We are located at 245 Waterman Street, Suite 306 in Providence. You can call us at 800-272-3900, or visit our website at www.alz. org/ri.

We can also assist families by connecting you with other service providers in Rhode Island. In

e xe c u tive direc tor y , alzheimer ’s association

addition to your primary care physician, you can seek the help of specialists such as neurologists, geriatricians and psychiatrists. Diagnostic centers for memory disorders conduct a comprehensive set of tests to assess an individual’s level of cognitive functioning. A thorough assessment can yield a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disease with 80 to 95 percent accuracy. There are three diagnostic centers in Rhode Island: The Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center at Rhode Island Hospital, Butler Hospital’s Memory and Aging Program, and the Rhode Island Mood and Memory Research Institute in East Providence.

Persons with Alzheimer’s disease require increasing levels of care as the disease progresses. Short-term and long-term care can be very expensive. Care services include respite, adult day centers, in-home care services, assisted living facilities and skilled nursing homes.

Geriatric care management agencies run by the Division of Elderly Affairs (DEA) or private groups can assist in obtaining in-home care services.

To ensure that the person with Alzheimer’s disease receives the best long-term care, it is crucial for the family to get your legal and financial affairs in order.

Elder law attorneys can assist with estate planning, Medicaid and Medicare claims and planning, Social Security and disability planning, Durable Powers of Attorney for finances and health care, living trusts and living wills. The DEA and other government agencies offer financial assistance for respite care, long-term care and prescription drugs to income-eligible individuals. Drug manufacturers also offer discounts on prescription medications.

A journey with Alzheimer’s disease can be compared to running a marathon. So plan ahead and pace yourself. The Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter is here to help you.

sen i o r

i ss u es

The time is now

Contact elected officials to appropriate funds for Alzheimer’s Call 1-800-687-3813 today and tell Senator Jack Reed that Alzheimer’s disease is the most expensive disease facing our nation today and is set to increase like no other, unless bold action is taken.

Currently our country spends more than $203 billion per year caring for those with Alzheimer’s, with more than two-thirds of those costs paid by Medicare and Medicaid. And while those numbers are high, they’re expected to skyrocket to $1.2 trillion by 2050.

But the true costs don’t stop there. They aren’t just numbers in a budget or line items in a spreadsheet.

They often can’t be easily calculated or quantified.

Instead, they’re measured in diminished personal

20 | PrimeTime

health, disappearing memories, increasing stress, lost time with a loved one and even bankruptcy. Nationwide, a community of caregivers, family members and individuals with the disease bears these costs directly. And with more than 5 million people living with the disease, over 15 million caregivers, and with an American developing the disease every 68 seconds, that community is growing.

Despite staggering costs and a growing epidemic, chronic under-investment continues in Alzheimer’s disease research. Our country invests less than 1 percent of what we spend for care and support on promising research, the very research that holds the keys to conquering this disease. That just doesn’t make sense.

As an Alzheimer’s Association advocate in Rhode Island, you know this disease, and you know that to truly make a difference, our nation must do more.

Smart investments in other diseases have shown great success and are paying off, both in terms of cost and lives saved. Clearly, overcoming Alzheimer’s will save lives and is key to addressing our nation’s fiscal challenges.

Please call 1-800-687-3813 and urge Senator Reed to take the first steps in addressing this problem by supporting an additional $100 million for efforts to combat Alzheimer’s disease in FY 2014.

August 2013

b y catherine T erry tayl o r d i re c to r , r i d e p a r t m e n t o f e l d e r l y a f f a i r s

sen i o r

i ss u es

State plan on Alzheimer’s unveiled at caregivers conference This has been an exciting and historic summer for Rhode Island in terms of making progress toward better care for individuals with dementia, as well as better support for their families.

On June 24, Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts and I presented to Governor Chafee and the leadership of the General Assembly the Rhode Island State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, as directed by a Joint Resolution approved by the General Assembly in 2012. The next day, we were delighted to unveil the plan to the public at the Alzheimer’s Association’s Caregivers Journey conference, attended by 450 family caregivers and professionals.

The State Plan is the culmination of a year’s work that was led by the Working Group to Develop a State Plan for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, in partnership with the Rhode Island Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, with much of the research and writing conducted among six subgroups that were developed to identify and tackle the wide array of challenges that Alzheimer’s disease poses to society. The six subgroups were organized to focus on caregivers, access to care, legal issues, workforce, long-term care and care delivery and research.

The information and recommendations contained in the State Plan represent the experience and expertise of many of the state’s leading professionals in a wide range of professional fields, including long-term care providers, clinical care providers and academic researchers, law enforcement officers and legal professionals, state policy and program staff, and patient and health care advocates. The subgroups also drew on the

experiences and resources of the Geriatric Education Center at URI, the Brown University Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, the Brown Brain Bank, the Norman Price Neurosciences Institute and the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry.

Over the course of many months, we held eight listening sessions for caregivers across Rhode Island, two of them in Spanish, to get very personal input. We also held targeted listening sessions with the probate judges association, law enforcement and other groups with unique perspectives on what tools we lack in dealing with dementia. We made the plan available for public comment as part of an extensive and inclusive stakeholder outreach and drafting process.

In all, there are 30 pages of recommendations in the Plan, which can be found at ltgov.ri.state.gov/alz.

We’ve identified what we need to do.

Some themes developed as the subgroups moved forward with their work, which are woven throughout the Plan. For example, the Plan recommends improving the timeliness with which research findings and best practices from across the state’s institutions are disseminated to providers and families.

It also highlights the need to standardize dementia training and educational programs as well as the certification of facilities that offer dementia-specific services, so that individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease can rely on high quality, “dementia capable” care, and find what they need more easily.

Another important recommendation is the development of an online resource (referred to as the Rhode Island Alzheimer’s Disease – RIAD - website). The

State Plan envisions this resource as a way to foster coordination among researchers and clinicians and to assist them in recruiting participants for clinical trials and research studies. It would also provide consistent, centralized support to individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and their families by making local, timely and practical information readily available.

As co-chairs for the Workgroup, Lt. Governor Roberts and I intend that the Rhode Island State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders is just the beginning of the process. We will now engage stakeholders to write a work plan for how and when we will implement these very necessary recommendations.

We invite you to stay engaged in this important process, to help Rhode Island be the most dementiacapable state in the country.

Did you know?

A new study in the journal Neurology suggests that working out is the most effective way to protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers studied roughly 700 study participants from Scotland, all of whom were born in 1936. Each participant reported their levels of leisure and physical activity at age 70, rating their physical activity on a scale from moving only to perform household chores to participating in heavy exercise or competitive sport several times per week. Participants were also asked to rate how often they engaged in social or intellectual activities. At age 73, participants received an MRI to measure certain biomarkers in

August 2013

their brains. Those who participated in more physical activity showed less brain shrinkage and fewer white matter lesions, both of which can be signs of Alzheimer’s disease. And while social and intellectual activities can be beneficial in preventing Alzheimer’s disease, the study found that social and intellectual engagement weren’tas helpful to the brain as physical exercise. The types of physical exercise most beneficial to the brain are still being studied, though information presented at the 2012 Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference suggested that strength training is perhaps the most effective form of exercise.

PrimeTime | 21

A GLIMPSE OF RI’S PAST

PEOPLE AND PLACES

h i s t o r y w i t h T e r r y d ’a m ato S p e n c e r

The coming of the airplane Fun, profit, excitement and danger

. . . continued

During the first two decades of the 20th century, Rhode Islanders became familiar with the potential of the heavier-than-air craft through the daring exploits of such barnstorming pilots as Raymond Hobson, Bob Simon, Joe Pierce, Art Jones and Jack McGee. McGee, a Pawtucket resident, was one of Rhode Island’s favorites. Through a number of articles written by Pawtucket Historical Society members Beverly Johnson and James Wheaton, we learn of some of McGee’s daredevil performances.

From 1913 until 1918, Jack McGee thrilled spectators not only in Rhode Island, but all along the East Coast of the United States. On Memorial Day in 1913, during the opening of Looff’s New Crescent Park at Riverside, Jack caught the imagination of thousands by his aerial display and soon began taking many up for the “thrill of a lifetime” as he showed them a view of Rhode Island most residents never dreamed of.

A brush with death

During this Crescent Park engagement, McGee decided to put pontoons on his plane for short trips out on Narragansett Bay. On one of these excursions, McGee and a passenger, David Sutton, were 50 feet in the air when a chain on his flimsy aircraft broke, throwing it out of control. McGee quickly lost altitude and plunged into the bay. Fortunately, McGee hadn’t used up all of his nine lives and through quick work on his part, he was able to save himself and his passenger.

The dangers inherent to flying the early planes were by no means limited to pilots and passengers. Johnson and Wheaton recall the time when McGee was performing stunts over the Sabin Street fields in Pawtucket during a baseball game.

“The game was interrupted in the eighth inning by the appearance of McGee above. After executing some fancy figures at 2,000 feet, he dropped into the grounds, just missing the big Royal Weaving Co. chimney.” It later dipped within four feet of the grandstands. Not only had McGee escaped death, but so did those baseball spectators.

Airplane “mania” takes root

Despite the obvious perils, the crowds demanded more and more performances.

In 1914, according to Johnson and Wheaton, McGee found plenty of passengers willing to take the risk for the exhilaration of an airplane ride. He seemed to be ever present at the popular Rocky Point Amusement Park and at Oakland Beach.

The idea of flying high above the earth, an age-old ambition of man, took on a much more practical goal than that of stunt and thrill shows. By 1906, Count Ferdinand von Zepplin built the first practical rigid airship and, soon after, scientists were predicting that air travel across the Atlantic would be safer, quicker and even less expensive than travel by water. The world, thanks to the airplane, was getting smaller.

A weapon of war

In that same year, however, it also became obvious that the airplane could be a weapon of war, more devastating than anything the world had known. White it was still in its infancy, bombing by air was becoming a reality. This was demonstrated when the Italians dropped cans of nitroglycerine from planes on the natives of Libya. The potential for airplanes as weapons was not lost on the Germans and English, either, as they began building fighter planes in 1915. These early vehicles were made of wood, but by 1916, the Junker Company in Germany was building aircraft of metal.

In Rhode Island, the U.S. government became promoters of flying when the first demonstration flight of using airplanes to deliver the mail was successful in a run from Boston to Providence in 1913. In 1915, the U.S. government gave a

22 | PrimeTime

contract to Stephens and Sons to build three “hydro aeroplanes” at Fields Point, R.I. In 1917, the Gallaudet Aircraft Corporation at Cowesett (later known as Consolidated Aircraft Company, Vultee and Convair and General Dynamics) received a number of government contracts to construct “sea planes.”

The new factories needed test pilots and they looked to the daredevils to do the job. In 1917, according to Johnson and Wheaton, Jack McGee, his brother Robert, and their mechanic, Edward “Duke” DeSautell, were employed by the Gallaudet Company. The company was very much impressed by McGee’s skill and he became their head aviator.

A tragic ending

The year 1918 began with high hopes for Jack McGee. On Jan. 2, he married Miss Helen Louise Morris of Pawtucket and settled into a career as a test pilot.

Johnson and Wheaton tell us, however, that as the year wore on, McGee began to feel the strain of his new occupation. They say that on June 11, 1918, the Gallaudet Aircraft placed a plane in the water at Greenwich Bay for McGee to test. The Pawtucket historians say, “It is understood that McGee told a friend that he had a premonition it would be his last flight.”

McGee, with his customary skill, took the aircraft up high over the Bay and performed his tests. He tested and experimented with the plane three times that day. On the third and last flight, McGee’s luck finally ran out. He put the craft down safely on the Bay and, we are told, “...was taxiing on the waters of Greenwich Bay when the pontoons caught in a wave and the machine nosed over.” Rescuers immediately rushed into the bay from the shore. Despite their efforts, McGee drowned as he was unable to loosen the straps that held him in the experimental plane.

McGee was a great pilot and his abilities and zest for flying did a great deal to focus Rhode Island on the significance of the airplane. One of McGee’s great ambitions was to fly across the Atlantic to London, England.

Johnson and Wheaton quote him as saying in 1913, “If it should be my good fortune to catch good weather and a calm sea...I will fly from Newfoundland to Ireland easily, but with the arrangements I have in view I believe I shall be able to cross under far less favorable conditions.”

Jack McGee never made that flight. In May 1927, however, another young pioneer pilot, Charles A. Lindbergh, made a solo flight across the Atlantic. Lindbergh became a national hero as a result of this and ushered in a new era for the airplane.

Primarily because of this flight, Rhode Island decided to build a state airport.

The building of Rhode Island’s airport and the aerial history of that early period will be continued.

August 2013

sen i o r

retirement sparks

i ss u es

b y elaine m . decker

Passwords for seniors SplashData annually releases a list of passwords that hackers consider the worst (which means the easiest for them to crack). “Password” and “123456” once again top this year’s list. Other returning entries are (sing along now) “abc123,” qwerty (just look at your keyboard) and monkey (no clue on that one). New ones include “welcome,” which is apparently the default password for many operating systems when first installed.

Other passwords that are easy to crack are the names of your children

Other common and easily divined passwords among seniors are popular terms like Medicare, SocialSecurity, and Annuity. Likewise, senior life tools such as walker, hearingaid and dentures; and such senior lifestyle aspirations as goldenyears, condo, timeshare and downsize.

None are good choices if you want to secure your computer files, folks.

Password experts recommend that we include numbers along with letters, but I’ve found this to be a tad inconvenient.

Numbers I’d go to first are too easy for hackers to figure out. Others are mov-

Here are some examples to consider.

In the “guaranteed to stump a hacker’s spellcheck” vein: presbyopia, cholesterol, hypertension, osteoporosis, roughage, hemorrhoids and bunionectomy.

These are all words that are familiar to those over 65, therefore easy for us to remember. I’m still working on how to provide us with secret clues to their correct spelling. Feel free to send me your suggestions.

Passwords that come out of our retirement experiences are also good choices, especially ones that remind

has provided useful information that will help you come up with more secure choices for your own computer needs.

If you’re having trouble remembering your more secure password, there’s always those failsafe fallbacks: “can’t-remember-my-password” and “Wherethe-heck-did-I-write-it-down?” Note the use of apostrophe in one and question mark in the other – great foils for would-be hackers. Be sure to take note of where they are on your QWERTY keyboard.

The women among my readers may want to consider such easy-to-remember phrases as daftoldbat, goathair, liverspots and canthookmybra. Or daft-old-bat, goat-hair, liver-spots and can’t-hook-my-bra, if you want to be really secure.

and pets. Obviously, these vary by user.

However, as a tribute to the popularity of certain names, two that once again made the national 25 “worst” list are Ashley and Michael. Jesus was a newcomer this year, as was ninja. Don’t look at me; I just report the news.

I’ve done research on common, but bad, choices in passwords for seniors.

Not surprisingly, these include gramps, granny, nana, pops, bubbie, mima, nono and a litany of other words that mean grandmother or grandfather in a foreign language. Coming on fast is abuela, reflecting the growth in our Hispanic population. Likewise bad choices are the names of your grandchildren.

Grandparents apparently practice generation-skipping, preferring to ignore their own offspring and to go straight to the names of their grandkids.

August 2013

ing targets. Take for instance the age to collect Social Security. We can do this as early as 62. When I first started working, full retirement age was 65. By the time I reached retirement, it was 66. A password with this in mind could wind up being “SS62wait65no66.” True, no hacker is likely to come up with it, but then neither would I when I needed it.

SplashData recommends we think in terms of “passphrases” instead of passwords. That is, multiple words strung together, preferably separated by hyphens or other punctuation. An example they give is “dog-eats-bone.” I’m adding to that suggestion using words that are easy to remember for us, but not as easy for a hacker to divine (or, in many cases, to spell). The trick is to come up with passwords that no hacker is likely to stumble upon accidentally, but that are part of your own everyday life.

us of the more stressful aspects of senior living. Some examples here are (and you’ll notice I’m following SplashData’s recommendation to use hyphens): pension-fraud, irrevocabletrust, not-so-longterm-care, and yes, generation-skipping.

The women among my readers may want to consider such easy-to-remember phrases as daftoldbat, goathair, liverspots and canthookmybra. Or daft-old-bat, goat-hair, liver-spots and can’t-hook-my-bra, if you want to be really secure. Male readers can choose among curmudgeon, fart-machine, what-me-shave? (remember Alfred E. Newman?) and drools-when-eating. All gloriously evocative, yet highly secure.

I hope this post on senior passwords

Copyright 2012 Business Theatre Unlimited Elaine M. Decker’s latest book, “Retirement Sparks Again,” follows her first two books, “Retirement Sparks” and “CANCER: A Coping Guide.” All are available at Books on the Square, the Brown University bookstore and Spectrum-India, on the East Side of Providence, and on Amazon.com, including Kindle editions.

Contact her at: emdecker@ix.netcom.com to arrange a meet-and-greet with your organization.

PrimeTime | 23

lifestyles

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT

by DON FOWLER

Introducing grandchildren to the arts Our grandchildren are growing up in a different age, where video games, TV, and I-Pads dominate their time and attention.

Live theatre and concerts are attended primarily by older adults, while their grandchildren sit at home in front of a computer screen.

School committees look for places to trim their budgets, and the first places they look are the music and arts programs.

With less exposure to the arts at an early age, grandparents are needed to step in and introduce their grandchildren to the wonders of classical music, stage performances, and the wonderful world of the lively arts.

Susan Sullivan of Cranston brought her three year-old grandson, Charles Greaves, to live children’s theatre when he was only three years old.

Many of the fairy tales she had read to him came alive right before his eyes.

Her son saw his first musical at

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Theatre-by-the-Sea when he was in 2nd grade.

At age 6, Charles became a regular at Theatre-by-the-Sea and the Providence Performing Arts Center, following in the footsteps of his Uncle Andy.

Susan and Andy would buy him the book, and when possible, the video, to familiarize him with the story and the characters.

Last month, at the ripe old age of eight, Charles sat in the front row at Theatre-by-the-Sea where he had a chance to interact with the actors in “CATS”.

He even performed in “Suessical the Musical” at his school.

Charles has seen too many plays to mention. Among his favorites are “The Lion King”, “Beauty and the Beast”, “Mary Poppins”, “Wicked”, “Shrek”, and of course, “CATS”.

With “Phantom of the Opera” coming this season to PPAC, he told his grandmother that he was “…not ready

for the scary musical. Maybe in a couple of years”.

Grandparents may not be as ambitious as Susan, but we all can take advantage of the many opportunities in Rhode Island to introduce the arts to our grandchildren.

• The Rhode Island Philharmonic occasionally performs children’s concerts. They also have a wonderful music school.

• Children’s Theatre, such as Kaleidoscope Theatre, are a good introduction.

• Take your grandchildren to the RISD Museum.

• Enjoy a free local concert at one of the city or town parks.

• Encourage them to participate in a school play.

It is never too early or late to begin the process. We picked up our teenage nephew from a Rolling Stones concert in Foxboro years ago. He stayed with us for a couple of days and I wondered

how to entertain him after he had seen the Stones.

I took him to his first classical music concert, where he sat in awe, listening to the 1812 Overture.

His response? “Uncle Don, That was awesome.”

Make the arts an awesome experience for your grandchildren.

Seniors eat, drink and “play” in Newport Sixteen senior citizens from Warwick boarded a Transwick bus for the ride to Newport to join senior groups from across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut to enjoy a sumptuous buffet, hilarious play and entertaining cabaret at the Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant.

The popular entertainment spot is in its 30th year of providing a destination for senior day trips, with matinees every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, in addition to Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

We attended a recent Thursday matinee of “Spreading It Around,” a very funny comedy about a wealthy widow who decides to give all her money to charity, much to the displeasure of her greedy son. Producer Matt Siravo chooses plays that are light, innocently risqué, and usually geared toward his largely senior audiences. A check of a number of senior center newsletters and assisted living facilities found a trip to Newport Playhouse on the schedule of activities.

The buffet is hot, tasty and humongous. Many seniors need assistance carrying the large platters to their table.

Chicken, pork, fish, meatballs, sausage, vegetables, salads, soups and desserts are but a few items on the varied menu, all cooked in house by great chefs.

Special dates include surf and turf (baked stuffed shrimp and angus prime rib station) matinees and Lobsterfest matinees and evenings.

After lunch or dinner, guests are treated to the plays.

“Beau Jest,” a comedy about a Jewish girl bringing her WASP boyfriend home to meet her parents, played in early July, followed by “The Hallelujah Girls” about a group of Southern women who decide to change their lives and achieve their dreams … sort of a female Bucket List. That show runs through Aug. 18.

“The Love List” is about two friends who create a list of the ideal woman’s top 10 qualities. When the ideal woman arrives on the scene, the action turns into a “Be careful what you wish for” comedy. It runs from Aug. 22 to Sept.

29.

Newport Playhouse also hosts a number of murder mystery theater productions, a popular event for seniors, on selected dates, along with a comedy and

mind reading show starring Lon Cerel, a Rhode Islander who has opened for Henny Youngman and was voted Best Party Entertainer three years in a row.

Individual tickets are $9.95, which includes the buffet, play and cabaret, with special group rates available. The facility is handicapped accessible. For information on group rates or individual tickets, call Jonathan at 848-2808.

August 2013

calendar of events Shakespeare in the Park The Taming of the Shrew FREE The Colonial Theater will present Shakespeare’s rollicking and outrageously funny work this summer. Opening on July 31 and running through Aug. 18.

Tuesdays to Sundays at 8:00 pm.

No performances on Mondays.

This production marks the 22nd season of admission free Shakespeare in Wilcox Park, in the heart of downtown Westerly.

Cross’ Mills Public Library Summer Concert Series 4417 Old Post Road, Charlestown, RI 02813, (401) 364-6211 www.crossmills.org August 2, Jon Campbell - Native Rhode Island songwriter. August 9, The Rowan Brothers - Country rock duo. August 16, Kathleen Conneely & Mary King - Irish music. August 23, Steve DeConti & Paul Nagel - Surf jazz duo. August 30, La Bella Musica - Classical string ensemble.

Washington County Fair Washington County Fairgrounds August 14, 2013 - August 18, 2013. Wednesday - Sunday, 10:00 am - 11:00 pm. Admission: $10 for Adults, Kids FreeAnnual fair with country music, a giant midway, animal shows, grange and 4H exhibits, crafts, children’s games and more. 78 Richmond Townhouse Road, Carolina, Rhode Island (401) 539-7042 Washingtoncountyfairri.com

Annual Charlestown Seafood Festival Ninigret Park, August 2, 2013 - August 4.

Fri Noon - 11 p.m. , Sat 11 am.-11 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Admission: $8. Rhode Island’s best seafood, lobsters, steamers, chowder, fish & chips, clam cakes, corn on the cob and a raw bar, as well as an array of all types of foods for every taste. A wide variety of arts and crafts, amusement rides, rock wall climbing, car show, Marcolites Kite exhibition, children’s shows, bungee jumping, Petting Zoo, kayak, overnight getaways, dinners and lobster raffle. 4470 Old Post rd. Route 1A. 401-364-4031 Charlestowrichamber.com

Animal Birthday Party Club: Masai Giraffe Roger Williams Park Zoo. August 8, 11 a.m.

-3 p.m. Admission: Event free with zoo admission. Party like an animal at Roger Williams Park Zoo! Join us to celebrate the birthday of Amber and Jaffa Prince,the Masai Giraffes. The day will include tasty enrichment treats for the giraffes, fun activities for you and more!

The Highlands on the East Side

3rd Annual Wheels for Wishes Classic Car Show Mishnock Barn., August 4, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.

Free Admission. Come enjoy this great classic car event with family and friends.

All proceeds will go to benefit Children’s Wishes, a local organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

200 Mishnock Rd, West Greenwich. 401921-1300 www.cwishesri.com, www. mishnockbarn.com

St. Bartholomew’s Feast 297 Laurel Hill Ave., Providence, Friday, August 9th – 5pm-10pm, Saturday, August 10th – 3-10pm , Sunday, August 11th – 3pm-10pm. Italian, American, & Spanish Foods. Doughboys, Homemade Pastries & Desserts. Carnival Rides & Games by Amron Family Fun Fare. Nightly Musical Entertainment. For more information call 401-944-4466 River Glow 2013 Downtown Westerly-Pawcatuck. August 10 Saturday, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Free Admission. Floating bon fires on the Pawcatuck River. Live music, food booths, fire jugglers, stilt walker, life size puppets and more.

exhibitors wanted

g n i v i Le x p o

P ri m e T i m e Ma g a z ine

senior We take care of . . .

Planning Promotion Follow-up

For registration information call Lisa Bronstein

Exhibitor space includes tables, chairs, pipe & drape, tablecloths & skirting, and electricity.

508-588-7700

August 2013

American Health Resources, Inc.

or e-mail lisab@ahrevents.com

The Two Hearts Cabaret, featuring the duo of Carol and Audrey, are performing on Saturday, August 24 from 2 to 4 p.m. Free an the public is invited. For more information, call 654-5259 or check them out on line at www.highlandsri.com.

East Greenwich Art Festival New England Tech, August 31, 2013 September 1, 2013, Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free Admission. The Festival will feature over 140 Contemporary American Artisans, Festive Food, Live Music and Strolling Entertainment. New England Tech, 1408 Division Road, East Greenwich.

401-374-3899 www.festivalfete.com The 34th Annual Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta Newport Harbor August 31, 2013 - September 1, 2013 Fri 5 p.m.-8 p.m., Sat 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.Enjoy the sites of a Classic Yacht Parade in Newport Harbor. Newport Harbor, Thames Street, Newport, Rhode Island 401-8485777 x202

Linden Place Mansion Open for the Tour Season Linden Place Mansion, May 4, 2013 - October 14, 2013, Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. Admission: $5-$8. Linden Place mansion built in 1810 by the seafaring General George DeWolf, is currently open for visitors. Guided and self-guided tours of the estate, featured in the film The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow. 500 Hope Street, Bristol. 401-2530390 www.lindenplace.org Rhythm and Roots Music Festival Ninigret Park in Charlestown, RI August 30, 2013 - September 1, 2013 Fri 5 p.m. - midnight, Sat & Sun noon midnight. Admission: adv. $40-60 per day, $150 full festivalRhythm & Roots brings top musicians and family fun to RI! 16th Annual fest attracts music lovers from 20+ states. Hosted by Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, featuring Taj Mahal, Swimming, camping, hiking, shopping and food all available on-site. www.rhythmandroots.com Ocean State Theatre Company Box Office Opening For 2013-14 Season, its first full season in its new state-ofthe-art theatre in Warwick. Beginning on Monday, July 29 at 12 noon, patrons may purchase single tickets for any or all of the productions being presented during the 2013-14 subscription season, which opens with the Rhode Island Regional Theatre Premiere of Les Miserables., presented Oct. 2-20. www.OceanStateTheatre.org

Don’t miss our next expo!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Warwick Mall

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM • Market your product or service to thousands of seniors and caregivers.

• Combine the advertising of PrimeTime Magazine with face-to-face marketing opportunities at the Expo • Extensive networking opportunities with major senior organizations

PrimeTime | 25

CLUES ACROSS 1. Droop 4. Rested in a chair 7. Thai (var.)

10. Draw out wool 12. Coatis genus 14. Taxis 15. Beige 16. Supplementing with difficulty 17. Capital of Norway 18. A personal written history 21. Cologne 22. Australian flightless bird 23. Lowest freeman; early Eng. 25. 18th C. mathematician Leonhard 28. Cabinet Dept. for homes 29. Languages of Sulu islands 33. More scarce 35. Before 36. Swiss river 37. Actress & director Lupino 38. Edges 41. Thousand Leaves prefecture 44. Soldier hero of Spain El ___ 45. Gains through work 47. To the front 49. I (German) 50. Price label 51. Barack’s 1st lady 58. Drench with liquid 59. Child (scot.)

60. “Aba ____ Honeymoon” 62. Disappearing shade trees 63. Cricket frog genus 64. Union busting worker 65. A priest’s liturgical vestment 66. Previously The Common Market 67. Upper left keyboard key

26 | PrimeTime

CLUES DOWN 1. Point midway between S and SE 2. Genus of birds 3. Personal spiritual leader 4. Japanese rice beverage 5. Eared owl genus 6. Wood oil finish 7. Hyphen 8. Competently 9. Equal, prefix 11. Broad-winged soaring hawks 12. A collection of star systems 13. Be in accord 14. Links subject & predicate (linguistics) 19. Paddles 20. Asian river between China and Russia 23. Physicists Marie or Pierre 24. Excessive fluid accumulation in tissues 26. _____ Dunlap, pageant titleholder 27. Made again 28. Norse goddess of death 30. A waterproof raincoat 31. Express pleasure 32. ___ Lanka 34. Radioactivity unit 39. Clay blocks for building 40. Linear unit 42. Conductor tools 43. Whale ship captain 46. Queen who tested Solomon 48. Good Gosh!

51. A gangster’s girlfriend 52. Unstressed-stressed 53. Draw through holes 54. Old Italian monetary units 55. Musician Clapton 56. Ceremonial staff of authority 57. Fabrics of camels or goats 58. A very large body of water 61. Basics

August 2013

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

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MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS

Advertise here for only $30.00

Call 401-732-3100 for details

To Advertise, call 401-732-3100 for details

HEARING HEALTH

FOOT CARE

Alan R. Nowick, D.P.M. PODIATRIST – FOOT SPECIALIST

GENTLE & THOROUGH

FOOT CARE – SINCE 1988 – Board Certified in Foot Surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery

1370 Cranston Street, Cranston

943-1020

www.AlanNowickDPM.com

LANDSCAPING

REAL ESTATE

DENTURES

CEMETERIES

Loose Dentures?

NEW DEVELOPMENT In Denture Adhesion

Congratulations to John Myenberg on the purchase of his new home!

It was my pleasure to work on his behalf as a Buyer’s Representative.

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Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery

- Latest Technology for Upper & Lower Denture Retention and Stability

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ASK ABOUT FAMILY PLOT DISCOUNTS PAYMENT PLANS AVAILABLE

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1370 Cranston Street Cranston, RI 02920-6758 Tel:(401) 946-1010

K. Bob Malesra, DDS - Family Dentistry

Products & Services Designed to Make Your Life Easier

CALL 401-732-3100 FOR ADVERTISING DETAILS

August 2013

PrimeTime | 27

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For decades, you’ve turned to him for advice. Now it’s your turn to return the favor.

He needs my help, but what should I do?

DON’T STRUGGLE WITH AGING. FIND A SOLUTION. If you’re a caregiver for an elderly loved one, you know how challenging the job can be. But we can help you find solutions that can improve their quality of life. Call the Brookdale® community in your area and find out how we can serve your family’s needs. brookdale.com 28 | PrimeTime

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All the plAces life cAn go is a trademark of Brookdale senior living inc., nashville, tn, UsA. August 2013 Reg. U.s. patent & tM office.

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